Charles Swanton awarded Royal Society Research Professorship

Professor Charles Swanton has been awarded the Royal Society Napier Research Professorship in support of his exceptional work on cancer evolution and tumour genetic diversity. Professor Swanton is a world renowned expert in cancer evolution who specialises in addressing the causes and consequences of tumour evolution, with a focus on lung cancer. 

The Royal Society Research Professorships usually run for up to 10 years and provide long-term support for internationally recognised scientists of exceptional accomplishments from a range of diverse areas including biochemistry, genetics, chemistry, developmental biology and physics. Professor Swanton is one of only six scientists awarded a professorship this year.

Professor Swanton's research group investigates how cells in tumours change and adapt over time and in reaction to treatment. The team have found that there is significant genetic diversity among cancer cells in a tumour, with cells having different mutations at different locations in a tumour. This has consequences for how best to characterise and treat a patient's cancer.

Charles is chief investigator of the Cancer Research UK TRACERx clinical study which, through the UCL Cancer Trials Centre and UCL Cancer Institute, is tracking the evolution of lung cancer in patients undergoing treatment.

Commenting on the appointments, John Skehel, Biological secretary and a Vice President of the Royal Society, said: “The scientists awarded the 2016 Research Professorships are amongst the world’s most distinguished. All six have already made outstanding contributions to science and society and we hope that the professorships will support their current projects, as well as opening up new opportunities to enable them to continue their exceptional work.”  

View details on all 2016 Royal Society Research Professorships.

Further information

• Image: Professor Charles Swanton
• Image credit: Cancer Research UK
• Source: The Royal Society and Francis Crick Institute
• Translational Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory

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